How To Make The Most Of A Roadtrip

Going on a road trip is a phenomenal way to explore a country, or group of nations in an affordable and interactive manner. With the thrill of an open road, scenic sights at every corner, and a solid group of great people, there is much to see and do. Once a trip has been planned, and everyone is prepared to embark on a long journey, it is essential to make sure that everything is in order before stepping out the door. With that being said, the following is a collection of important tips to consider making your vacation one for the books.

Have Up-To-Date, Organized Documents

Driving a car cross-country for fun travel is a great way to get to know a nation and its everyday transportation and communities. However, while operating a vehicle, it is crucial to ensure that proper documents are in order. Often, papers for insurance, rental or drivers licenses are not needed on the road, unless crossing borders or dealing with authorities. However, one never knows when they may be pulled over or stuck somewhere. It is always better to be safe than sorry, with approved documents at-the-ready and not needed compared to missing necessary information and being penalized for it.

With all of the crucial tips above adding to the value of your sight-seeing adventure, this next suggestion is very realistically the best for the driver.

Do Not Forget To Eat

There is plenty to do on the road to keep the crew and driver entertained and engaged during the long hours. However, it can be quite comfortable with all of those distractions to forget to nourish one’s self. There are plenty of ways to deal with the food and beverage situation while on a trip. One favorite way to do it is by stopping at restaurants or outlets en route that is quick and delicious. Although eating out saves time and is easy, it is sure to drain a wallet pretty quickly as each meal will cost at least ten dollars. Another way to deal with refreshments is by stopping at grocery stores along the way and buying food that can be stored in a cooler and made simple, such as sandwiches. By purchasing grocery food rather than eating out every meal, road trip budgets can be saved lots of money which can be delegated elsewhere, perhaps a few extra days of vacation too.

Eating is a fun way to take a break, nourish one's self and enjoy the foreign food. But all of these costs can add up, following is an excellent solution to the building expenses of a cross-country vacation.

Split Costs

Splitting the costs of a trip is another crucial aspect of life en route. Ordinary expenses such as gas, refreshments, equipment, and accommodation can add up and make for a costly tour. With that being said, by sharing the costs evenly amongst team members and having an overall budget is a sure-fire way of ensuring that the whole team makes an equal contribution. Good examples would be taking turns paying to fill up the cars gas tank or merely pooling money together which is used for communal things. However, it is also vital to ensure that each person maintains some individual cash so that if a specific person wants to buy a souvenir or an extra pint at night, they may do so at their discretion.

Cost-sharing is a smart alternative to everyone winging their budget. Following is another excellent way to have everyone on the trip share responsibility for the betterment of the team.

Take Turns Driving

This tip on the list seems to be an easy one that would be fairly obvious to most travelers, however, when on the road, this can be an easy rule to forget. Switching drivers is an important part of any road trip because it allows each equal person responsibility and rests time making for a balance among the crew. If someone is unable to drive or has not received their license, have them help out in other ways to make the workload even. Also, it can be easy to have the mindset of just wanting to push through and go an extra hour or two when it’s your turn; it’s common. However, when in that mindset, it is easy to forget about food, rest and personal care which can lead to frustration, and no one wants that on a trip that is meant to bring joy to the whole team.

Now that you know the importance of taking turns while on the road, the following tip will be a good follow up for making sure whoever is driving is well-taken care of.

Have A Dedicated Companion Stay Awake

Not only is taking turns driving an important responsibility, but another important role on the road is being the co-pilot of sorts, whose responsibility is to stay awake with the driver and keep them engaged during their shift. Sure, it may not be necessary to be talking or interacting the whole time, but even passing the snacks or reminding them about pit-stops can be helpful and much appreciated. There is nothing worse on an expedition than being the only one awake, left to entertain oneself while driving for hours on end. Not to mention, that time spent entertaining the driver is often where some of the best ideas for new destinations and activities come from, or simply getting to know a friend better.

Having someone stay awake to help the driver get through those long hours is crucial for a successful road trip. However, no one can go forever. Therefore the next slide offers simple, but quality solutions to this issue.

Stop At Hotels

While on an exciting road trip it can be quite easy to want to push through the long hours of driving just to get to the next planned destination. However, doing so can cause problems at times, especially when the next stop is more than a days drive. Stopping to rest is essential, and a great way to do so is by checking into an affordable hotel along the way, campsite if the crew has camping gear or even a hostel. Doing so is a right way for the whole team to recharge their batteries. Also, stopping off for a night can make for just as enjoyable a moment as getting to the destination, often time meeting new people is easy at hotels or such, and there are frequently bars or nearby restaurants which offer a fun night out for everyone to sit back, relax and enjoy the break.

Stopping for a rest every once in a while is great for reserving energy. However, it is not the most crucial essence to a well-functioning vacation, and the upcoming slide offers another useful tip.

Make Sure There Is Enough Space

Having enough space in the car is essential, primarily if the road trip crew consists of more than three or four people. With a substantial group size, it can be effortless to fill up the vehicle with unnecessary luggage and items that do more damage than good. Especially when on a trip for a few weeks or more, the more a group brings with them, the harder it is to ensure that everything stays together, remains clean and does not cause problems. Therefore, a great way to solve this issue is by having a list of items that each person can bring and a limit of bags, that way there is no one individual taking up too much space and ruining the trip for others. Also, if there is just no solution to the mass amount of gear than an easy way to remedy the situation is by renting a larger vehicle for a couple of weeks; although this may be costly, the extra cash split among everyone is not too much and will save stress.

Now that you understand the importance of having plenty of space in a car, the following slide has a good suggestion for filling the tedious hours en route.

Have Activities

Although the area within the typical road trip vehicle can be somewhat limited, there are always ways to make the time go by a little bit quicker. Best way to do this is by having activities to do while in the passenger seat, back seats or even driving. As long as the fun does not get too distracting for the driver, this is a fantastic way to make a ten-hour trip feel like five. Often, activities include reading a book, watching a movie or tv show, playing spot-em games such as I-Spy or Padiddle. Sure, sometimes it’s nice to just crank up the music, roll down the windows and cruise, but having contingency activities for those alternative hours is always a good idea.

With all of the fun and time spent traveling cross-country, it is simple to forget one of the most critical aspects of any travel trip. Following is an important tip to consider.

Keep The Car Clean

With all of the refreshments, activities and more that goes on in a cross-country vehicle, there is bound to be a bit of a garbage and disposables buildup after a while. Food wrappers used packaging, and more makes for an easy way to clutter a vehicle and quick. Although some people are okay with that, many can get annoyed quickly and uncomfortable with all of the disposables, not to mention the smell that often comes with such debris. Therefore, a great way to ensure that the vehicle stays fresh is to have disposable plastic bags that can be used as makeshift garbage which gets emptied each stop. Also, cleaning out the car before the trip starts of all trash and unnecessary items make for an all-around better experience on a trip-of-a-lifetime.